Anybody who has worked or is working in the business world knows how differently it functions. People spend years understanding and digesting the work techniques and attitudes of others. Growing oneself or a business in the cutthroat competition is indeed a difficult task, but not impossible. Alan J Omar, the founder and CEO of The Capital Gate has set an example of growing and maintaining a business while giving tough competition to others.
Starting Small
Alan Omar is Kurdish-American; born in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq but brought up in the United States. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a major in finance, and a minor in accounting. He graduated with honors, summa cum lade, and he is a member of the Alpha Chai honor society. During his youth years, Alan had a brief idea of how the corporate world operated; however, he had no experience. So, with the ideas of entrepreneurship at the back of his head, Alan pushed himself to start working and gain experience. As a teenager, his first job was as a construction worker in the Netherlands at the age of 15, right before moving to the United States. Although it had nothing to do with business or entrepreneurship, he still worked there as his first learning experience and exposure to earning.
In addition to work, Alan was a pro athlete. He played as a professional table tennis player while living in the Netherlands, so he was able to work during his off-season. Eventually, after moving to the United States in the year 2000, he started working in multiple entry-level retail jobs from a small super market in Alexandria, VA, to clothing retail stores, J.Crew and Christian Dior, during his teenage high school years. Eventually, Alan Omar then started searching for careers that interested him and were related to his field. He then found a consulting opportunity where his job was to guide foreign companies interested to enter the Kurdish-Iraqi market for commodity trades, crude oil, liquid natural gas, and other petroleum-based products. As a consultor’s position requires one to be extremely knowledgeable and educated about the topic they are providing their guidance, Alan slowly learned about the insights of the oil and gas industry. During his consulting period, he saw a lack of financial resources available to investors in developing countries. He saw an unexplored opportunity and decided to tap it, which led to the formation of his business venture.
Alan was aware that starting a business venture requires time, resources, and effort. To be able to make his business a successful one, he would have to learn the basics of survival tactics in the corporate world. His idea was to tap into the oil and petroleum industry. He had to maintain cordial and diplomatic relations with the companies and firms in the oil-rich countries while setting up his business in the US.
In 2011, Omar founded the Seva Market & Deli, a licensed brand in the petroleum industry. It operated three separate business departments consisting of a fuel station, convenience store, and fast-food deli. In addition to starting this venture, Alan wanted to gain full knowledge of the petroleum industry, so he involved himself in managing fuel stations, mini markets, and mechanic shops. By working at these places, he would continuously learn and be updated on the trend and industry. In addition to working and setting his foot, Alan thought about another one of his goals. He wanted to construct a licensed system providing a roll-out concept, a system, a brand, and management experience to entrepreneurs looking to break into the gas station industry. Most importantly, he aspired to help other entrepreneurs avoid making costly mistakes due to the lack of resources and guidance for small business owners. He had always envisioned his journey to be slow but steady, and Alan was gradually coming closer to his entrepreneurial dream.
Stepping into the Petroleum Industry
Alan’s hard work started paying off when he finally started seeing his entrepreneurial dream come true. In 2014, he sold the licensed Seva Market & Deli retail station in Manassas Park, Virginia. The selling of his well-established business enabled him to launch a bigger brand in the petroleum industry.
While Alan was owning and operating gas stations, his dream was to get back to working on his dream of building an investment company. Founded originally in 2005 but placed on the sidelines while working on his other ventures, in 2009, Alan transformed his childhood dream into reality and relaunched “The Capital Gate.” It is an alternative investment and asset management firm for high net-worth investors. His company operates in three segments: Real Estate, Private Equity, and Consulting. The Real Estate segment invests, develops, and manages commercial and mixed-use real estate properties. In Private Equity, it invests in companies with a long horizon and great management teams through growth capital, fund of funds, and acquisitions. In the Consulting section, The Capital Gate aims to advise its clients and investors on strategic acquisitions, leadership development, and capital structure and aid international investors to access various markets.
Having founded an investment firm in Virginia, US, Alan had fulfilled his goal of becoming a successful entrepreneur. As a leader, he desires to inspire young talents to channel their energy in the right direction and have successful careers. Such a mindset enabled him to join Global Diplomatic Center, a platform that promotes diplomatic excellence, global understanding and recognizes the importance of diplomacy in serving nations. Due to his expertise in real estate, gas stations, and the investment industry, he now serves as a board member and strategic advisor to the GDC.
Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No Excuses – Kobe Bryant
Indeed, success never comes easy, and Alan Omar’s well-thought decisions and his journey are proof!
